NAMI Advocacy: Senate Deliberations on Health Reform

The House voted on the American Health Care Act in early May. Now, the Senate is working on its own health reform bill and may try to vote on it by the end of June.

Congress should improve mental health coverage by working across the aisle in a transparent process. Instead, Senate leaders are working in secret and word is that they want to cap Medicaid, which would devastate our community mental health system.

More than ever, your advocacy is needed now.

If hundreds of billions of dollars are cut from Medicaid, it will be harder for people on Medicaid to get psychiatric medications, case management and mental health services. And, some people will lose their eligibility for Medicaid. This will push people with mental illness into costly emergency rooms, hospitals and jails.

The Senate should protect Medicaid and SAY NO to any health reform bill that:

Caps or limits Medicaid;

Ends Medicaid expansion;

Takes away protections for people with mental health conditions; or

Leaves fewer Americans with coverage for mental illness.

What can you do?

Send an advocacy alert to your members.

Post on social media.

Get ready for Hill Day. Read our Hill Day Guide talking points (attached) and come ready to advocate. If you’re not coming to Hill Day, you can send a message to your members of Congress here.

We have everything you need to act below. (For better image quality, use the attached image files).

Alert Image

You can use this image in your Advocacy Alert. See attached and below for more images to use on Social.

Subject Line

Will you lose your mental health coverage?

Advocacy Alert

The Senate is discussing health reform and may take action soon. They have a decision to make: protect mental health care or make devastating cuts to Medicaid.

Medicaid is the foundation of our community mental health system. It is the main provider of mental health services for people with serious mental illness.

Many in the Senate want to cap Medicaid (a fixed amount of federal funding per person). If Medicaid is capped, it will be harder for people to get psychiatric medications, case management and mental health services. And some people will lose their eligibility for Medicaid.

Simply put, Medicaid caps would DEVASTATE mental health services.

Capping Medicaid would be a move in the wrong direction and push people with mental illness into costly emergency rooms, hospitals and jails.